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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Senior central defender Simon Ejdemyr has once again brought a great deal of distinction to the University of New Mexico and the men's soccer team that he represents. Ejdemyr headlined the release of the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men's Soccer Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He was the top vote-getter of all Division I athletes who were nominated, thus named the winner of the Academic All-America of the Year award in the University Division.

"It's a big honor for me and for the team," said Ejdemyr, a native of Boras, Sweden. "I think it's indicative of our coaches' emphasis on succeeding both on the field and in the classroom. I also think it's indicative of the athletic program's support of student-athletes, an example being our Lobo Center For Student-Athlete Success. They really put an emphasis on taking care of school -- we know we're here to get a degree, first and foremost."

Ejdemyr is one of 12 Scholar-Athletes named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men's Soccer University Division first team this year, and is one of three repeat selections. Ejdemyr was named to the first team for the second year in a row, and is a three-time member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men's Soccer University Division team.

A starter in 72 of 73 matches in his four-year career at New Mexico, Ejdemyr is a Political Science major with a perfect 4.09 G.P.A. He was selected as a Far West All-Region player twice thus far, and was named to the College Soccer News Freshman All-America first team in 2006. Ejdemyr was also named to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation All-Conference first team for the fourth year in a row as an athlete.

"Simon has been a coach's dream for four years," said Lobo head coach Jeremy Fishbein. "He has made a lasting impact on our program, and has exemplified what a student-athlete should be."

In addition to anchoring the backline all four of his seasons at New Mexico, Ejdemyr scored 12 goals in his career. He was a perfect 8-8 on career penalty kicks, and scored two game-winners in each of his last three seasons. As a senior, he led the Lobos to a 12-7-1 record, a second place finish in the MPSF Tournament, and their third berth in the NCAA Tournament in the last four years.